When all you want to do is go home, the last thing you want to happen is a dead battery. While there are several ways to get a jumpstart, the easiest way to charge car battery is with a designated car battery charger. Hopefully, there will be someone nearby who can help you out, but you should be able to do it on your own. You do not have time to wait on free delivery on auto parts, so here is the best way to charge your battery when you are in a pinch at home.
Prepare Your Vehicle
The first thing you need to do is shut off your vehicle completely, including all interior lights. Once you have access to the battery, you should first remove the ground or negative cable. This is the black cable that has a (-) sign on it. You should clean the battery terminals so that you have the best connection possible. Ideally, you can clean it with a mixture of water and baking soda. You may notice a lot of acid buildup on the battery, so wear eye protection when possible. You do not want these corrosive materials to touch your eyes, mouth or nose.
Hook Up the Charger
Your car battery charger should come with instructions telling you how to operate it. For the most part, you just have to remember to have the charger turned off at first. Next, hook up the charger’s positive cable with the positive terminal located on the battery. You can then hook up the negative cable to the negative terminal. You should set the charger to the slowest charge rate possible. Now is not the time to go overboard. Lastly, you can turn on the charger and determine how long to have it run. When it comes time to remove the charger, you should turn it off first. Depending on what type of battery and charger you have, you may need to charge it between six and 12 hours.
Determine the Root of the Problem
When your battery runs low on juice, you need to figure out why that is the case. If you left the lights on overnight, then that is an obvious explanation. It is also a good one because it means your battery is likely not dying at this time. When no other explanation exists, you may need to look into purchasing a new battery. Most car batteries are designed to last up to five years. If yours is older than that, then you may need to begin a car battery lookup in the near future.
Without a battery, you will not go anywhere. You can find all the items you need to keep your battery going at your local auto parts shop. You can even find replacement batteries when your current one reaches the end of its lifespan. You can find out what type of battery your car needs in the owner’s manual. With the right knowledge and resources, you can be confident your car will keep going for many years to come.
